When Love Doesn't Conquer All
by BelieveTheWarIsOver
Summary: A one shot-song fic about the season R break up that ran off, dragging me along with it. What happens when Serena can't take the heartache and leaves? An old plot with, hopefully, a slightly different ending. NOTE: Previously titled Only One.
1. Only One

**Disclaimer-Sailor Moon does not belong to me. The song credit is Only One by Yellowcard.

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Chapter 1:**

_Broken this fragile thing now,  
And I can't, I can't pick up the pieces.  
And I've thrown my words all around,  
But I can't, I can't give you a reason._

Serena sullenly walked down the street, a frown on her face and a pain in her heart as she made her way to the arcade.

It was wrong. Everything about all of this felt wrong. She had heard all about broken hearts after a sudden break up, but this was more than that. It was almost as if half of her soul was missing.

How could he do this to her? They were meant to me, soul mates in another life and this one too.

Or maybe that was the problem. Maybe he didn't want his life planned out for him. Maybe he wanted a chance to make his own decisions and be his own person. Darien had never been the kind of guy to do anything more than what he wanted to do.

And that only led to more doubt. He was so sophisticated and independent. Why would he ever want to be with her? She was clumsy, ditzy, piggish and lazy. He was so much better than her in everyway. He deserved someone of equal stature, not some little girl who clung to him and acted like an idiot day in and day out. Of course, she had voiced all of these possibilities to her friends and feline companions the other night when they had, as a group, dissected the break up at the latest sleepover. They had told her she was being silly and that Darien loved her, even though all her faults and they couldn't fathom what went through his head when he so bitterly told her it was over. They didn't know what else she should do besides for move on because she was better than him and he was an idiot for letting her go. But when the other four girls and two cats popped in a movie and pulled out the junk food, Serena bit her lower lip and pulled her legs to her chest, turning all the facts she had over in her head, trying to figure out what had gone wrong.

_I feel so broken up,  
And I give up.  
I just want to tell you so you know._

She had to say something. Every time she saw him, she opened her mouth to ask him, yet again, what she did wrong and how she could fix it, but he either walked away too fast or she chickened out. She always was a coward, whether she was Sailor Moon or Serena Tsukino. And it was because of this fear that she dropped the subject as best as she could and attempted to nurse her heart back to heath. Or at least put it back together so that she could try and plaster a believable smile on her face. The girls and Rini were getting really fed up with pathetic actions and she couldn't really blame them. She was more useless now than ever before. The truth was, she was getting fed up as well, but she couldn't seem to fix herself. She couldn't make it better. Only he could, and he refused.

_Here I go, scream my lungs out and try to get to you.  
You are my only one.  
I let go, but there's just no one that gets me like you.  
You are my only, my only one._

"Darien?"

Her voice caught in her throat as she stared, wide-eye, at a figure in the distance. There he was, standing on the corner of the street, one hand in his pocket, the other grasping Rini's tiny palm, keeping his companion from running into the busy road. The little girl was chattering on about something Serena quite make out. The blond could just imagine Darien's smile, even though she couldn't see it from the position she was standing in.

"Darien?"

Her voice was no stronger than before. Even worse, she couldn't bring herself to pick up her feet and move closer to the pair on the corner.

But the truth was, even if she was close enough and he could hear her, he wasn't listening. It was almost as if, whenever she was nearby, he knew, and he put up this shield-a shield that would block out her pleas and give her the same standard response: I don't love you anymore. What we had was great, but it's over. You need to accept than and move on.

But she couldn't.

"Darien, please, stop. Don't do this," she protested sadly, tears welling up in her eyes as light changed and he crossed the street, Rini skipping along next to him. "I love you. Don't leave me."

_Made my mistakes, let you down,  
And I can't, I can't hold on for too long.  
Ran my whole life in the ground,  
And I can't, I can't get up when you're gone._

She wasn't sure how long she could keep going like this. It was getting harder to wake up in the morning, get dressed and go to school. It was even harder to pretend to be the bubbly, happy girl she used to be. The girls, Luna, Artemis, Rini and Andrew obviously knew how depressed she was, so when they gave her sympathetic looks, Serena knew it meant nothing as to how good her acting was. It was only when her parents started looking at her funny and Molly set a comforting hand on her shoulder to ask her if anything was bothering her that she knew her act was weak, at best.

But of course, she knew she had to keep going. She knew she had to become a better liar. She had to make everyone else believe she was okay. Either that or she would have to push all of them out of her life completely. She couldn't stand the sad looks, the pats of pity and the words of encouragement-or rather the scathing words of annoyance coming spouting from Raye's mouth. It would destroy her, but it didn't matter. She was dying slowly inside anyway and she wasn't going to drag everyone down with her.

_And something's breaking up  
I feel like giving up  
I won't walk out until you know_

"Hey Andy," Serena cheered happily as she walking into the arcade and sat down on one of the barstools, a fake smile forcing it's way onto her face.

"Hey Serena," Andrew replied, matching he enthusiasm exactly.

"What's wrong, Andy?" the blond asked as she gratefully allowed the smile to drop, her mouth turning downward in a frown. Even though she felt like burying herself under all of the blankets in her house until she absolutely had to come up for air, she still have enough energy and time to make sure her friends were okay. They had to be okay. Her world was coming down around her, so they had to be okay.

"Nothing," the waiter replied as he shook his head at his customer. Serena's frown deepened.

"C'mon, Andy, tell me," she whined, sounded like herself for the first time in a long time. Perhaps that's what made her friend tell the truth.

"I'm worried about you, Serena," he sighed. "I know you probably don't want me to be, but I am."

"Andy," she replied, trying to sound like her old, chipper self as she tried to brush off her friend's concern. "I'm fine. Look at me-" but he cut her off.

"I am looking at you, Serena, and it's because I'm looking at you that I know that you're not okay and I have every reason to be worried," Andrew explained, his voice lacking room for argument as he set aside his dishrag and placed his hands on the counter, only inches away from hers.

"I'll be okay, Andy. Don't worry. I just… I just need some more time to get over this, I guess," Serena shrugged as she folded her arms on the counter and set her chin down on her hands.

"You need closure, Serena. I know Darien hasn't really explained any of this to you and it's not fair. You shouldn't have to go through this," the older man suggested as he reached forward and kindly set a hand on Serena's elbow.

"Do you really think that'll help?" she asked hopefully as she peered up at Andrew, her cerulean colored eyes wide and hopeful for the first time in quite some time.

"It can't hurt, can it?" Andrew asked after a moment's hesitation.

Serena considered the advice. Maybe she did need to have it out with Darien one last time. Maybe she needed to stop begging him to take her back and have a real conversation instead. Maybe that would lessen the pain her chest and make it easier to breathe.

"Okay, I'll try it," Serena mumbled, her whole body still weighed down with the problem, but her heart just a little bit lighter with Andrew's plan in place. "I think I'll wait for him here," the petite girl added softly.

"Let me get you a milkshake, okay? On the house," the man behind the counter offered.

"Okay," the girl shrugged, knowing full well that she wouldn't drink it. She would twirl the straw around in the glass and click her nails against the countertop, but her stomach was too tied up in knots to even dream of consuming anything. From the minute she made her decision to sit and wait for her ex-boyfriend, Serena's stomach had seized up, completely forgetting any previous signs of hunger.

_Here I go, scream my lungs out and try to get to you.  
You are my only one.  
I let go, but there's just no one that gets me like you.  
You are my only, my only one._

It was the second time that day that she had laid eyes on his dark head of hair. Oh, how she wished she could run her hands through it like she used to. She wished things were the way they used to be. She would even let Rini have all of Darien's attention if it meant he still loved her the way he used to. Just to know she held that place in his heart would be enough for her to survive, at least for now.

"It's now or never," Serena breathed as she got to her feet and walked towards Darien, who had seated himself in a corner booth towards the back of the arcade. He probably hadn't even noticed her when he walked in. Not that she could blame him. She was annoying and immature. He was lucky to be rid of her, and after today it would be final. He might be her soul mate and he might have understood her better than anyone else at some point, but he didn't want her and she would have to accept that.

The blond paused with only a few feet between her and the dark haired man who was slouched over a cup of coffee and a newspaper on the table in front of him. What was she going to say to him? How could she get him to tell her what she needed to know?

She was just formulating her plan when a tall, leggy, redhead passed in front of her and sat down across from Darien. It was when her stormy eyed ex looked up at the redhead and smiled at her, the way he used to smile at Serena, back when they were dating, that the petite girl's eyes began to water. This was a mistake, a big one. He had moved on without her. He didn't need her or her closure.

"I'm going home, Andy," Serena said dismally, her façade dropping entirely as she stopped by the front of the arcade briefly before leaving.

"What happened, Serena?" Andrew asked, confusion on his face. "I just saw Darien walk in. Aren't you going to talk to him?"

"I can't." The blond shook her head sadly as she spoke. "I have so many things I want to tell him and so many things I need to hear from him, but it doesn't matter. I realize now that nothing's going to change the fact that he broke up with me. Nothing's going to fill that hole he left behind. I'm miserable without him and he looks just fine without me, so I think it's time I try and find closure by myself. Besides, I think the girls are getting really sick of me, and I shouldn't be putting you or Rini through this either. I'm sorry I've been so selfish and I hope you can forgive me."

"There's nothing for me to forgive!" Andrew protested as he joined Serena on her side of the counter and pulled the blond into a tight hug. "None of this is your fault. He's being an ass and that will never be your fault."

"Maybe if I had been better?" she asked meekly, speaking into her surrogate brother's shirt as the tears began to fall. "Maybe I would have been worth it if I was more like him, if I had tried harder."

"Serena, don't you ever say that," the taller man pressed on as he pulled away from the girl, his big hands covering her small shoulders, holding her at arm's length. "God forbid you ever be like him. He's a miserable, lonely jerk. You're too good for him. He should have been better to you."

It was possible that somewhere, deep down inside, she believed him, but it didn't matter. Nothing mattered except for the giant cloud of anguish that filled her. She had no plan, she had no hope and she had no closure, whatever that was.

_Here I go so dishonestly.  
Leave a note for you my only one.  
And I know you can see right through me.  
So let me go and you will find someone._

Serena bit her lower lip hesitantly as she clutched the letter she had painstakingly penned the night before. She had spent all night on her bed, her legs tucked underneath her as she wrote draft after draft, hoping one of them would say everything she wanted to say.

Thankfully, one short, but simple letter had survived.

_Here I go, scream my lungs out and try to get to you.  
You are my only one.  
I let go, but there's just no one, no one like you.  
You are my only, my only one._

"What's this?" Andrew asked in confusion as he flipped over the plain, white, sealed envelope that had one word, a name, written on the front. Two days had passed, in which Serena had stayed holed up in her room, forming a new plan.

"It's everything that Darien needs to know," Serena replied sullenly as she shifted the straps of the bag she was wearing on her back.

"Serena?" the man pressed in confusion, eyeing her bag suspiciously.

"My mom's letting me go stay with my aunt and uncle for a while to figure things out. It's summer break and I have nothing else to do, so it makes sense," the blond answered with a shrug.

"Why?" he asked, the frown on his face deepening as he tried to work out why she was running away.

"Because I can't just sit here and let him rip my heart out again and again every time I see him," she whispered as she shook her head.

_My only one_

"He's the one," she continued.

_My only one_

"I know it sounds crazy, but I know that he's the only one for me." Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes as she spoke, her blue eyes bright with emotion.

_My only one_

"He's my only one."

_You are my only, my only one_

"And he won't have me. So I have to go."

With that, the small, blond girl hugged the tall man she called her best friend, told him to tell the girls and Rini she was sorry and turned her back on the place that had caused her so much happiness and so much pain, if only for a little bit.

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**A/N: -Sob-**

**So I know I had this whole game plan, but obviously this one shot turned not-so-one-shot disturbed everything. Stupid iPod, long bus rides and teenage depression... But everything else is still in the works, I promise. Refer to my profile for more. And please review!**

**Love and Luck,**

**Gaby**


	2. Details In The Fabric

**Disclaimer-Sailor Moon does not belong to me. The song credit is Details In The Fabric by Jason Mraz and James Morrison.

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Chapter 2:**

_Calm down  
Deep breaths  
And get yourself dressed instead  
Of running around  
And pulling all your threads saying  
Breaking yourself up_

Living without Serena wasn't easy. In fact, every step Darien took knowing that the bouncy blond wasn't going to be running down the street at the very sight of him, joyous words spouting from her pouty pink lips once her arms were around his neck made it harder for him to remember why he had broken up with her in the first place.

"God," Darien groaned as the image of Serena flashed before his eyes. He hated himself. He probably hated himself more than she did. He was lonely, depressed and heartbroken without her, but on top of that, he also woke up every day knowing that she must be feeling the same way and that he had caused it. She didn't understand why it had to happen. She didn't know that he still loved her. How could she? If she had told him she didn't love him anymore as many times as he had to her, he would have to believe it to be true as well.

But every time Serena's angelic face materialized behind his closed eyelids, he remembered why he broke up with her. He remembered that there was a reason for this suffering. And that was how he managed to get himself up every morning and find himself sitting, once again, in his usual booth in the arcade on the receiving end of one of Andrew's reproving glares. At least he was still talking to him, no matter how angry he was about the sudden, seemingly pointless break up. Well, for now at least.

_If it's a broken part, replace it  
But, if it's a broken arm then brace it  
If it's a broken heart then face it_

But he knew he had to start getting over her, or at least find a way to live without her. The truth was that until the dreams stopped, he wouldn't be able to get back together with Serena and he knew he couldn't keep walking around like a petulant child. He had to live his life and try to be happy in any way possible. He liked to imagine that's what she would want, but even if it wasn't, he couldn't imagine that his parents would want him to miserable. They would want him to live for them. They loved him, that much he remembered, and he knew enough to understand that love shouldn't go to waste.

_And hold your own  
Know your name  
And go your own way  
Hold your own  
Know your own name  
And go your own way  
And everything will be fine_

"I can do this," Darien mumbled to himself as he locked the door to his apartment, tucked his keys into his pocket and took the elevator to the bottom floor. He wasn't surprised to see a beaming Rini standing in the lobby, waiting for him.

"Darien!" the little girl squealed as she launched her small form into his arms, causing him to smile, if only just a little. Rini was another reason to keep going. Somehow he had managed to form a strong bond with the girl in a very short amount of time and he didn't want to think about how badly she would take it if he suddenly disappeared from her life. He could just imagine the miserable expression on her face. It was a very familiar one: the one he saw on Serena's face every time he passed her on the street.

"Darien?" Rini asked as they paused on a corner to wait for a light.

"Yes Rini?" he replied as he forced a wide, laughing smile onto his face for her sake.

"Can we get ice cream? Please?" she requested innocently.

"Yeah, Rini, we can get ice cream," Darien replied, his smile shrinking as it became authentic. Yes, she was so much like Serena, but it was a relief to have someone in his life who could make his heart hurt just a little bit less the way Rini could.

_Hang on  
Help is on the way  
Stay strong  
I'm doing everything_

Darien sighed as he slipped into his booth at the arcade. He had just taken Rini home, much to both his and her dismay, but he did have to meet someone. At least the little girl had presented him with some sort of relief, if only for a short period of time. She was a saint for that, even though she could never understand how making him buy her ice cream did him any good.

"Hey Darien," a redhead said as she slipped into the seat across from his.

"Hi Marley," he replied with a sigh before continuing to exchange pleasantries with the girl he happened to sit next to in his irritatingly mandatory English class. They had been paired up to do a project on some dreadfully boring book. At the very least, Darien was thankful that the redhead didn't drool all over him like the other girls did. It made the hated English class and assignment much more bearable.

_Hold your own  
Know your name  
And go your own way  
Hold your own  
Know your name  
And go your own way_

_And everything, everything will be fine  
Everything_

His lunch with Marley had kept his mind off of his problems for a short period of time, but it wasn't enough. After walking his partner home, Darien found himself wandering around the city, not sure what to do with himself. Yes, he had to carry on with his life, but he wasn't sure how to do that, so until he could figure it out, he would just try to forget about the awful things he'd done to his perfect little bunny. He would have to act like everything in his life was okay and then maybe one day the pretend would turn into the truth.

_Are the details in the fabric?  
Are the things that make you panic?  
Are your thoughts results of static cling?_

He hadn't seen her in two days. Where was she? What was she doing? This was so unlike her. Was she okay? Was she hurt? Was she sick? He couldn't ask Andrew or any of the other girls. He was the enemy. He was the cause for all of this. But even if he could question them, Darien wasn't sure they knew anything. They all looked just as nervous and worried as he did.

_Are the things that make you blow?  
Hell no reason, go on and scream.  
If you're shocked it's just the fault of faulty manufacturing._

"She's gone," Andrew deadpanned on the third day as he dropped an envelope on the table, his eyes glaring holes straight through his friend.

_Yeah everything will be fine  
Everything  
In no time at all  
Everything _

_Hold your own  
And know your name  
And go your own way_

"What?" Darien asked, his midnight blue eyes going wide as his gaze flickered from Andrew's face to the offending object in front of him as he tried to assure himself everything would still be okay, that this was just a joke and Serena was going to prance through the automatic doors of the arcade any minute now.

_Are the details in the fabric?  
Are the things that make you panic?  
Are your thoughts results of static cling?_

_Are the details in the fabric?  
Are the things that make you panic?  
Is it Mother Nature's sewing machine?_

"She's gone. She came in yesterday and said she had to go away for the summer because she couldn't take it anymore. You wanted her out of your life and now she is. You've pushed her away from all of us," Andrew growled angrily.

Darien dropped his gaze in shame. He'd never seen his best friend so mad.

"I ought to beat you up for what you did to her," the blond continued as his expression darkened. "I know I'd have help from the girls. Are you happy now, Darien? Are you?"

"No," Darien whispered, his eyes filling with tears, blurring the lines of the envelope as his dream replayed in his memory. His heart clenched tightly in his chest and his stomach dropped as the story he had just been told became reality.

"Good," Andrew spat before turning around and walking back to the front of the arcade, wordlessly telling Darien that he wasn't welcome there anymore.

_Are the things that make you blow?  
Hell no reason, go on and scream  
If you're shocked it's just the fault  
Of faulty manufacturing_

Darien sat there for a few more seconds before composing himself, picking up the envelope and walking out of the arcade, not bothering to look in Andrew's direction. He knew he would only find resentment there and that was the last thing he needed, especially coming from the only true friend he'd ever really had.

He wandered aimlessly towards the abandoned park as the sun began to set, the letter his angel had written him clenched in his hands. But he couldn't seem to find solace there, not even after letting out a roar of pain and anguish so loud that he scared off all the nearby animals and shook the leaves of the surrounding trees, so he turned and continued walking. He walked back towards town, passed Serena's school, beyond the mall, backtracking across the entrance of the arcade, sneaking a glance at the Tsukino house, only to finally make it back to his apartment complex with a million thoughts on his mind, but only one of them mattering. He had to open the envelope.

_Everything will be fine  
Everything  
In no time at all  
Hearts will hold_

He finally let his tears fall as he read the letter for the tenth time.

_My dearest Darien,_

_I love you too much to stay and not be with you, so for now I've got to go. Forgive me for being a coward and bothering you so much. You'll always be in my heart, no matter what, even if I'm not in yours. Always remember that I would do anything for you and if you ever need me, I'll always be there._

_Forever yours,_

_Serena_

_P.S. - Tell Andrew that I said it's not your fault and he shouldn't blame you._

She was gone. She was gone and it was his fault. It was always his fault. Why was he such a bad person? And how could someone so good love someone so awful?

Darien wiped his eyes roughly with the sleeve of his shirt and sat down heavily on his couch, the letter still gripped in his hands. Tonight he would allow himself to wallow in self-pity, but tomorrow he would be different. Tomorrow he would wake up and he would make himself be fine. Tomorrow he would wake up and carry on with his life to keep Serena safe. But no amount of tomorrows would ever make him forget a single word of her letter to him. No, he would carry those words in his heart forever.**

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A/N: -More sobs-**

**So clearly you guys won with an astounding 24 'please continue' reviews (and one repeat. Shana Elmsford, you are resilient). It's unbelievable. There aren't enough words in the English language to explain how much you guys rock.**

**Anyway, I'm not sure what comes next, so ideas might be helpful (more reviews couldn't hurt either. Yes, I know I'm greedy, so sue me. A girl could get used to 20 reviews a chapter). I'm still tossing around a few ideas, so I can't promise a speedy update. As usual, check my profile for more.** **Also, do you guys think I should keep making each chapter a mini song fic or should I cut the italics and make it all story? I figured I would put in one song for Darien and one for Serena, but I'm not sure what I like better. I would definitely like to know how you guys feel about it.**

**Love and Luck,**

**Gaby**


	3. Summer's End

**Disclaimer-Sailor Moon does not belong to me.**

**A/N: **_Italics_** signify **_flashbacks_**.**

**

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Chapter 3:**

The summer passed and, before Darien knew it, Serena was coming home. Ami had told him. For some reason, the quiet girl had decided to continue talking to him after the day they found out their leader had left. He had thought it odd. If anyone, he thought Mina would keep him filled in, but the goddess of love had turned her back on him. Of course, that didn't give him much confidence, but he had to accept what he had done and move on.

"I have to go, she's meeting us at the arcade in ten minutes," Ami said with a sigh as she dropped a few dollars on the table to cover the cost of her coffee. Darien might not be allowed in the arcade anymore, but he still needed his caffeine fix. He had taken up yet another regular spot at a small, generic café. The upside was that it was closer to his apartment. The downside, of course, was that it wasn't the arcade.

"Yeah, enjoy," Darien sighed as he rubbed his eyes tiredly. Yes, he was still having nightmares but they had changed. The visions of Serena dying in his arms had been replaced with ones of her skipping down the street with another boy holding tight to her hand, a smile stretching from ear to ear as he stood on the side lines, tears streaming down his face for his loss. The dream had changed the night before Andrew gave him the letter, the night she left. He wasn't sure of the cause, but he knew that he had made a big mistake and whoever had sent the nightmares was rubbing it in.

"Try to get some sleep, okay Darien? You need to talk to Serena about everything and you shouldn't be half asleep when you do it," Ami suggested hesitantly before leaving the café. Of course she knew the truth. She had slowly, yet subtly, wrestled his life story out of him only a week into their frowned-upon friendship. He had always known the girl was more than just smart, but he had underestimated her cunning.

"I'll try," he mumbled as he got up and walked slowly to the library. Another day, another book, Darien thought wryly.

* * *

Serena smiled slightly as she waved goodbye to her friends. Their reunion had gone well. Each girl had described their summer in turn: Raye spoke of her work at the shrine and her newest accomplishments with her music, Mina discussed the small acting role she had procured, Ami gushed about the internship her mother found her at the hospital and Lita babbled on, detailing the cooking classes she had taken, effectively making all four of her friends drool. Unsurprisingly, when it was their leader's turn to talk, they all turned towards her with rapt attention.

The blond laughed at the memory of her friends shock when she explained that she had spent the summer helping her aunt clean the house, studying for school, reading comics and tanning on the beach nearby. Raye pointed out that at least some things never changed and, in response, Serena stuck her tongue out at her friend in protest.

"_Some things really don't change," Ami giggled._

Serena sighed. Ami was right. She was still immature, she was still quite lazy and, most of all, she was still definitely in love with Darien. But at least now she knew what had sent him packing.

_Serena yawned as she crawled into bed. It had been a long day of traveling and all she wanted to do was curl up and sleep until she absolutely had to wake up, which was to be early the next morning. Her aunt had a whole host of things for her to do. The older woman was clearly going to take the 'too busy to be upset' tactic. The blond wasn't complaining._

"_Goodnight," Serena whispered to herself, missing Luna and Rini at that moment. There was always a round of well-wishing before bed and while there was no one around to return the sentiment, she could almost hear their sleepy voices._

_However, it wasn't to be a good night full of fluffy dreams. Instead, Serena had the worst nightmare to date. Yes, she had dreamt some awful things before, but this was quite different. She had never dreamt of her death at her own wedding._

_When the blond awoke, her room was still dark and her eyes were full of tears as she tightened her grip on her blankets. It took a few minutes of deep breathing before she could bring herself to crawl out of bed and quietly walk downstairs to the kitchen to find a glass of water. She was still shaking as she filled the cup from the tap and fished some ice cubes out of the freezer._

_As she took a deep gulp of the cold water, she wondered what had caused the dream. Unable to think of anything that could possibly spur such an awful vision, Serena finished her water and climbed back up the stairs, hoping to maybe catch a few more hours of sleep before being put to work._

She had managed to sleep until 8 the next morning due to exhaustion, but on most other nights, she had a bit more trouble.

_She had been at her aunt and uncle's house for over a month and every night she spent there, she had the nightmare. Each night it scared her just as much as it had the night before, and each night she had gone downstairs for water before heading back to bed in hopes of finding her way back to sleep. This night was different though. This night the nightmare lasted a few moments longer, revealing information Serena could have never known._

_Darien had also received this dream, night after night, just as she had._

_Of course that was why he had broken up with her. Serena knew that Darien loved her more than she could ever possibly love him. His love was so sparingly used, quite unlike hers, which was spread so far that even a stray cat on the street had been on the receiving end of it. But when the brooding man loved, he loved fiercely. She knew that a nightmare like that, playing on repeat each night, would scare him so badly that he would run without even thinking to ask for help, refusing to risk one of the few people who he could honestly admit to loving._

Serena had spent the day after this revelation trying to figure out what the best course of action was. Should she go home and confront him or wait out the remaining month to sort this out? Would she get back together with him if he apologized? Could she get over the fact that he had run at the first sign of trouble without even confronting her?

It was that afternoon, as the blond started her project of cleaning out and reorganizing the garage, that she became mad at her ex. How could he run like that? Why didn't he talk her? Didn't he know she'd rather live one year with him than one hundred years without him? Why did he get to make all their decisions for her? It just wasn't fair.

By the time she was in the kitchen that night with her customary glass of water clasped in her shaking hands, her misery had completely morphed into anger and resentment. She would stay where she was for the remainder of the summer. When she went home, he would come groveling back to her and she would start making the decisions.

Serena smiled as she turned her back on the fading outlines of her friends and made her way home. The girls were going to mall but the petite girl had passed on their invite to come with, citing the need to unpack and exhaustion as excuses for her absence. Ami had shot her a disbelieving look but the other girls just shrugged and started walking towards the mall. They must have taken the lack of conversation involving Darien as a sign that the summer had done what it was meant to do and the blond was better.

As Serena walked home a small smile slipped onto her face at the prospect of spending the evening alone in her room with only Luna and maybe Rini as distractions. Getting back to normal would be good for her, whether doing so included Darien or not. Yes, the blond still loved him and probably always would, but over the summer she had realized that love wasn't enough. There needed to be more than affection in a relationship, and she feared that maybe that was all she and her ex had.

"I'll find out soon," she sighed as she turned the corner, bringing her house into her line of vision. She wasn't stupid enough to assume she could avoid Darien forever, even if he decided not to confront her about the note she had left or talk to her about the warnings they had both received in dream form. There would definitely be a confrontation soon that much Serena knew, and she was ready for it. Or well, as ready as she was going to get.

* * *

**A/N: So there's no song. I'm not really a big fan of song-based stories. I was inspired to write the first chapter that way because it was supposed to be a one shot, but when more was demanded, I decided to write the other side of the coin, Darien's point of view, the same way. Now, however, it should be straight story unless I decide to write the ending the same way I wrote the beginning. We'll see. This won't be much longer.  
**

**Thanks to all the readers and reviewers. Keep up the good work and I'll do the same. As always, see my profile for more.  
**

**Love and Luck,**

**Gaby  
**


	4. Abandoned

**Disclaimer-Sailor Moon does not belong to me.****

* * *

Chapter 4:**

Serena was wrong. She wasn't going to find out soon. She couldn't decide whether or not it surprised her that Darien was so good at avoiding her and so cowardly as to follow through on it, but it definitely aggravated her. Not to mention put her life and lives of her friends in danger.

"Sailor Moon, are you okay?" Ami asked with a worried look on her face as she dropped down next to her fallen leader.

"I'm okay," Serena winced as she tightened her grip on her side and pressed her back closer to the tree she had been thrown against mere seconds before the latest youma was destroyed by Lita and Raye.

"Where the hell is he?" Raye demanded angrily as she paced back and forth in front of Serena, Ami's small computer scanning the blond for injury as she raved. "I mean, I get it, you guys broke up, but he's going to let you get hurt over it? Doesn't he realize there are bigger things involved here?"

"Mars, leave it," Serena barked shortly, a pain much worse than the one in her side filling her heart at the mention of her ex-boyfriend. Yes, she had been strong for a long time, but three months had passed with no sign of Darien and she was beginning to think that maybe their confrontation would never come. Love may not be all that's needed to have a relationship, but without closure, the wound was still gaping and it hurt like hell.

"Moon?" Mina asked as she sat down across from Ami and set a worried hand on her friend's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Serena muttered as Ami flipped her computer shut and tucked it into her pocket.

"Well, physically, yes, you're fine. It's just a nasty bruise. It's probably going to hurt quite a bit for the next few days. But emotionally, I'm not so sure. Is there something you're not telling us?" Ami asked curiously.

"I'm fine," Serena insisted as she got to her feet and started limping out of the park, all four of her friends following her nervously.

"Serena," Lita began hesitantly after they five had morphed back into their civilian forms. They were about to part ways, but the four couldn't leave their leader without trying one more time. "You know you can tell us anything, right Serena?"

"I know," Serena mumbled. "But I'm fine, I promise. You guys go home. We'll meet at the temple tomorrow after school for training. It's clear we can't depend on Darien anymore, so we really have to up our game."

"Will your side be okay by then Serena?" Ami asked anxiously as she eyed the blond girl's injured side.

"I'll be fine. Don't worry about me," Serena repeated as she turned her back on her friends and continued limping her way home. She didn't have much further to go, but it would be a tough walk, that much she could tell.

"Goodnight Serena," the four girls called after her. Serena could hear how little they wanted to let her go without a proper intervention, but it was getting late. They all needed to go home and do their homework if they were to have any hope of getting any sleep that night.

"Night," Serena replied, more to herself than to the girls as she turned the corner, causing the girls to lose sight of her.

Serena kept her head bowed as she focused on getting herself home in one piece, knowing that if she let her thoughts wander like she used to she would find herself thinking about things she didn't have time or strength to think about. Of course, her side hurt enough to help. She had lied to Ami and under-exaggerated the pain she felt. She hated when her friends worried about her. That's why she never told them she was still upset about the whole Darien incident. Besides, they had bigger things to deal with. Her drama was minor compared to their battles, especially when they didn't have the help of Tuxedo Mask anymore.

"Watch where you're going," a voice grumbled in annoyance as a tall, solid form slammed into Serena, causing her to bite her lower lip to keep the pain at bay.

"I'm so…" Serena began, but the words died in her throat as she looked up to see the face of the person who had slammed into her. She wasn't surprised. The only shock was that she hadn't run into him sooner.

"Serena," Darien said, his voice softening as their eyes met.

"Darien," Serena replied shortly as she studied his expression. Her eyes went wide as she registered what she saw. Was that regret and doubt written on his face? Was that an apologetic expression in his heart-melting gaze? What was going on here?

"Serena, I need to explain. I… I'm an idiot. Everything I did and said last spring, I didn't mean it. There's so much you don't understand," the tall, dark haired man blurted out.

"Explain? Understand?" the blond asked in disbelief as she snapped out of the daze she had been pushed into when she laid eyes on the love of her life for the first time in nearly six months. Before she had been stunned into quiet wonder but now the constant misery she had reverted back to over the last month or so was quickly turning into familiar rage and she wasn't going to just stand there and let him talk down to her. "Who are you tell explain things to me? What gives you the right to make me understand anything? Let me tell you something, Darien, I understand everything just fine. There's no need to explain anything."

"Serena, no, you don't… there was this nightmare and you died and I… I couldn't," Darien began beseechingly. She watched him try to find the words to describe what had happened to their relationship all those months ago. After a few moments of waiting, Serena decided she didn't want to hear it. All she wanted to do was go home, take a long, hot bath, crawl into bed and hope Ms. Haruna wouldn't be too mad at her tomorrow for not doing her homework.

"I know what happened, Darien. I had the dreams too," Serena said impatiently. "I know why you thought you had to break up with me. What I don't get is why you couldn't just tell me what the problem was so I could help you get through it. There's more to a relationship than love and until you learn that, you're going to have to continue avoiding me."

"Serena," Darien tried again, but Serena waved it off by taking a deep breath and limping passed him. His tired excuses weren't going to change anything. "Serena, what happened to you? Are you okay?" she heard him ask, his voice laced his concern as he began to follow her down the block.

"Don't," Serena ground out. "Just don't."

"But Serena," Darien pressed. Serena just shook her head and continued to walk, the rage simmering as she went. "Serena, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I love you. Can't you just stop and talk to me for one second?"

"You want me to stop and talk to you? Are you serious?" Serena ranted as she did as he asked, stopped and swung around to face him, instantly regretting the movement due to the sharp increase of pain. "Y'know what?" the blond asked in annoyance as her anger peaked. "Ever since all of this happened, you haven't given me a single reason to stop and talk to you. First you ignore me and pretend to not love me. Then I go away and when I get back, you're completely out of my life, which would be okay if you hadn't abandoned the scouts also. We need you to fight with us. I wish it wasn't the case, but it is. If we didn't, I wouldn't be limping."

"Serena," Darien began, but she didn't want to hear it anymore.

"No, Darien, I don't want this. Just figure out what you want from me and then we'll talk, okay?" Serena insisted as she resumed her trek towards home. She was so close to successfully storming off when a blinding pain shot through her and she stumbled, causing Darien, who was watching her march off, to run up after her and catch her just before she fell.

"I may not have been around to stop you from getting hurt, but I can take care of you now," Darien mumbled as he scooped the tiny blond up in his arms and began the short walk back to her house.

"Put me down, Darien," Serena insisted weakly as his long strides made short work of the distance. She knew she shouldn't be enjoying this, she knew he shouldn't be touching her, let alone carrying her, but she couldn't help it. She had missed his touch, his warmth and his care. It took everything in her to keep from resting her head against his chest and sighing in relief, just glad to finally be safe in his arms again.

"Get some rest, Serena," Darien said as he set Serena back on her feet in front of her house. "We'll talk soon, I promise you that." The blond nodded in acknowledgement before limping up the walkway, fishing her keys out of her pocket and slipping into her house.

He waited until she was safely inside and looking out the front window, spying on him, before turning to walk away.

"I love you too, Darien," Serena whispered before forcing herself up the stairs and into the bathroom for her bath.

* * *

**A/N: Why is this story so depressing?**

**Sorry it took me so long to update. I promise to try and be better about it, but to be honest, I'm a little stuck. I'll try to work my way out of it, but any and all ideas are definitely welcome.  
**

**As usual, thanks to the readers and reviewers. You guys make this story possible.**

**Love and Luck,**

**Gaby  
**


	5. My Life Would Suck Without You

**Disclaimer-Sailor Moon does not belong to me. The song credit is My Life Would Suck Without You by Kelly Clarkson.

* * *

Chapter 5:**

When Serena woke up the next morning, she quickly showered and dressed, knowing without even glancing at the clock that she was already late. No one would be surprised by that fact. Even though it was a new school year, she still had the same homeroom teacher and the same classmates and they knew her well.

"Bye mom! I'm going to Raye's after school. I'll call if I'm going to miss dinner," Serena called over her shoulder as she stopped at the front door to slip on her shoes and grab her backpack. The blond groaned at the pain the weight of her bag caused. She had almost forgotten about the bruises from the night before in her haste, although school did have a nasty way of bringing up unpleasant things she didn't want to think about.

"Bye honey! Be good and don't get detention today," her mom shouted back as Serena stepped out of the house, knowing that she would most definitely be receiving a detention that day. Her side hurt too much for her usual dash to school, which meant she was going to be so late that she would probably have to stay back after school all week. Raye was going to kill her.

"What's the point in even going?" Serena mumbled under her breath as she cut across the front lawn and walked towards school, hating her double life.

The blond didn't get far, however, when a voice from across the street called out her name. Serena sighed. She knew that voice.

"Serena!" Darien called again. Serena stopped and turned to face her ex who was leaning out of the window of his red sports car.

"Darien," Serena replied shortly with a nod. She just wanted to keep walking. School was going to be a pain but anything that could keep her from a confrontation with her dark haired prince was a blessing.

"You're going to be late," he pointed out lamely.

"I know," she mumbled just loud enough for him to hear as she fiddled with her long, blond pigtail. They both knew she was going to be late. What was he getting at?

"Get in," he shrugged.

Serena weighed her options for a moment before crossing the street and sliding into the passenger seat. The ride would keep her from being tardy and she really didn't think she could handle all the yelling she would be on the receiving end of if she were late. And it wasn't like it would be a long car ride. The amount of awkward conversation would be limited to a few sentences, maybe nothing at all if she had her way.

"Thank you," she whispered as she dropped her bag at her feet and buckled her seat belt.

"How are you feeling?" Darien asked in concern as he glanced from her to the road and back. She wanted to yell at him to watch where he was going, but she just didn't have the energy, nor did she think he would listen.

"I'm fine," the blond lied as she reached up once again to self-consciously play with her hair, her eyes watching the scenery blur outside her window instead of risking eye contact with Darien.

"No you're not," he replied bluntly, calling her bluff.

"Okay, maybe not, but complaining isn't going to help anything," Serena explained, realizing just how unlike herself she sounded in that moment. Usually she would be moaning and whining about her injuries, looking for pointless sympathy, but this time was different.

"I'd still like to know," Darien said softly as the car slowed and came to a stop in front of Serena's high school. "I still want to be apart of your life."

"You can be apart of my life when I'm apart of yours," Serena answered, her voice just as quiet as his as she climbed out of the car without looking back or thanking him for the ride. Everything that needed to be said had been said. Besides, if she stood there for much longer, the ride that kept her from being late would be wasted.

"Hey Serena, was that Darien?" Lita asked in a hushed voice as the brunette followed her blond friend into the school. Serena knew her friend waited outside the school for her until the last possible moment every morning, even on the coldest days.

"He saw me this morning and gave me a ride," Serena shrugged. It was only then that it dawned on her: Darien hadn't been stopped at a red light. He was parked in front of her house. He was waiting for her.

"That was nice of him," Lita said hesitantly, unsure of what else to say.

"Yeah, it was," Serena swallowed as she kept her eyes on the tiled floor of the high school's main hallway. It had been very nice of him to go out of his way to help her when he knew she would need it most. Maybe he was catching on.

"Does this mean you're getting back together?" Lita blurted out, unable to keep the question to herself any longer.

"No, Lita, it doesn't," the blond sighed. "We… we spoke last night about things. He caught up with me after the fight and helped me home. I don't know what's going to happen, but we've both said everything that needs to be said and whether or not we get back together or not is pretty much up to him."

"Do you still love him?" the taller girl pressed.

"I don't think I could stop, even if I tried," Serena replied as they both slipped into their first period classroom and hurried to their seats just as the bell rang.

"Then it'll work out. All you need is love, Serena," Lita hissed across the aisle just as their teacher smacked her ruler against her desk, calling the class to attention.

"If only that were true," Serena muttered under her breath as she twisted in her seat to pull a notebook out of her backpack, only to find a blood red rose tucked into her bag.

_My life would suck without you._

Serena couldn't help but smile at the silly pop song lyrics he had scrawled on the note tied to her rose. It wasn't a proclamation of love, nor was it a guarantee that things would get better, but it was a reminder that he wasn't going to give up anytime soon. He wasn't going to stop trying to convince her that he trusted her. He was going to keep trying to prove to her that she really was apart of his life as more than just the little girl he protects and loves because of a distant past.

"Serena!" a sharp voice called from the front of the room, causing the blond to jump, yank her notebook out of her bag and swing around in her seat.

"Yes ma'am?" Serena asked tiredly, her short-lived joy provided by her rose ebbing away as she realized that it was once again her turn to be humiliated in front of the whole class. It was just another too-early morning after a too-late night of fighting evil villains. God she hated her job.

* * *

**A/N: "But I am le tired.**

**Well, have a nap. Then fire ze missiles!"**

**I hope you guys have seen that youtube video. Search 'End of the World'. So funny.**

**Anyway, sorry for majorly late update. I really wanted to finish this story a week ago but that wasn't meant to be. But I think I've figured out what Darien needs to do to prove himself. Or not. If any of you guys have ideas, I would greatly appreciate the help.**

**Thanks to all the readers and reviewers. Keep the love coming and I'll try to keep the writing going! Remember to check my profile (and take a look at the poll on my page) for more frequent updates.  
**

**Love and Luck,**

**Gaby  
**


	6. The Healing Process

**Disclaimer-Sailor Moon does not belong to me.

* * *

Chapter 6:**

That afternoon, Serena, Lita and Ami walked to Raye's temple together, all three enjoying the leftover summer sunshine and the fact that no one was going to get yelled at that afternoon. None of them liked being at the receiving end of the fiery brunette's temper, nor did they find pleasure in watching their friends get yelled at. Besides that, it wasted the limited time they had together to train.

"I wish I could take a nap in the park," Serena sighed lazily, unconsciously voicing her wistful daydreams for the first time since she had returned from her summer-long vacation.

"Me too," Lita replied once she had gotten over the shock of hearing the voice of her best friend that she thought was long gone.

"Even I would pass up studying for weather like this," Ami admitted softly. "But we have to train. Last night's performance is something we can't afford to repeat."

"Tell me about it," Serena groaned as he bag bumped against her back, causing pain to radiate through her petite frame.

"Are you sure you can train today Serena? It won't do any good for you to hurt yourself worse today," Ami asked in concern.

"I'm fine, Ames," Serena replied, cursing herself inwardly for even mentioning the pain she was in. She loved that he friends cared so much about her, but sometimes it was stifling. "Like you said, we have to do this. Besides, Raye would kill me if I bailed."

"True that, girl," Lita affirmed but not without shooting the blond a worried look, one that did not go unnoticed. Serena bit her lower lip to keep back her exasperation. She wasn't a china doll. She wasn't going to break. Or at least, she didn't think she would.

"Hey, where are you three off to?" The exasperation was getting harder and harder to keep in, especially with him around. As much as she wanted him to prove himself and trust her, she was still mad at him for doing his best at destroying her trust in him.

Both Lita and Ami shot Serena identical looks. They were asking for permission to tell the older man what they were up to. The blond was grateful for that.

"We're going to Raye's to train," Serena answered with a shrug, instantly regretting the show of nonchalance as her heavy bag dug into her shoulders.

"Mind if I come?" Darien asked as he tucked his hands into his pockets. Serena eyed him curiously. He wasn't exactly outfitted to work out in his light wash jeans and plain black t-shirt, even if he did look drool-worthy, but she couldn't deny him. He was apart of all of this just as much as they were and even if he wasn't living up to his full potential as their protector, he still had a right to join any and all scout meetings.

"Come on," Serena said while shaking her head. "If we hang around here any longer we'll be late and Raye will kill us." With that, the three girls resumed walking, Darien following closely behind them. So closely that the blond girl hardly even noticed when her ex quickly slipped his big hands under the straps of her backpack, sliding her bag off her back and slinging it over one of his broad shoulders. Suddenly, her frustration with him was replaced with relief. His actions spoke louder than words: he was sorry for messing up, for not being there when they needed him to be and for letting her get hurt. He couldn't turn back time but he could help her get better faster and she knew he would.

Serena allowed a small smile to grace her round face as she turned to thank Darien, but the dark haired man was too busy looking at his feet to notice her attention. The blond bit her lower lip and turned back around to watch where she was going before she had the bad fortune of walking into a lamppost. She had a feeling he wouldn't let her walk home alone, so she would have plenty of time to thank him later.

"Finally you made it!" Raye exclaimed in annoyance as the four arrived in the courtyard of the temple. "Honestly."

"We're not even late, Raye," Lita pointed out with Ami nodding in agreement.

"So what? I've still been waiting forever," Raye pouted as she propped the broom she was using to sweep dirt off the cobblestones against a tree before starting up the stairs. "Well, come on. Mina knows where we'll be," the brunette insisted impatiently as she turned back to find out why her friends weren't following after her.

"Coming," Ami called after her. "Do you think she even noticed Darien's here?" the shy girl asked her companions as they started the trek up the stairs.

"She will soon enough if she hasn't already," Serena guessed. It was possible the brunette had noticed their blue-eyed guest but hadn't said anything. Surprisingly, Raye had some tact. Or, rather, she knew to save the boy talk for their all-girl meetings.

"I just hope Mina gets here soon. I was really excited to not hear any yelling this afternoon," Lita added, the other two nodding in agreement as Darien following quietly behind them. It was curious behavior for him, but Serena didn't have time to think about it. She had to concentrate if she wanted to get through training without wimping out. She really couldn't take Raye's verbal abuse that afternoon and while her ex was attempting to live up to his royal status, she didn't think he would be any help against any tongue-lashing her fiery friend could serve.

* * *

Darien anxiously shifted his weight from foot to foot as he watched Serena and Lita spar. He couldn't help but be nervous that the taller girl might hurt his angel. Yes, the blond was faster and smaller, but the brunette was a born warrior. They were a good match, but that fact didn't stop the worry, especially since he knew his ex was hurt.

"I yield," Serena gasped, sweat running down her face as she bent over to catch her breath. Mina, who finally arrived seconds before she could be considered late, ran forward and handed her friend a bottle of water while Lita, who was in far better condition than her opponent, walked over to her bag to retrieve her water bottle.

"Serena, maybe you should go home and relax," Mina suggested as she helped Serena off the mat while Raye and Ami got ready for their battle.

"Yeah Serena, you're no good to us all worn out," Raye added from where she was sitting, stretching her long legs on the blue mats they had set out on the wooden floor of one temple's empty guest room.

"I'm fine, I just need a minute," Serena muttered as she flopped down on the floor, pressing her back up against the wall as she took another deep swallow of water.

"Honestly, Serena, it will do you no good to push yourself," Ami berated lightly. Serena knew she was right, but she couldn't stop.

"I know, but I still need to be here," the petite girl protested weakly. "I'm the leader. I'm the princess. This is my job. These are my responsibilities."

"Everyone gets a day off," Lita piped up as everyone else nodded along. Darien just shook his head at the four girls. Despite their best efforts he knew Serena wouldn't budge.

"Not me."

"At least let me take a look at that injury you got last night," Ami asked hopefully as she got up from the mat, fully prepared to pass on her training to help out the stubborn blond.

"No way, Ames," Serena declined. "We all need the practice."

"Then let Darien. You guys can go next door," Mina urged softly, her blue eyes full of unease. Darien closed his eyes, afraid of the answer. If she said no, it meant she didn't trust him anymore. It meant that not only was she mad at him for not trusting her when he should have, but she had lost all faith in him. Not that he could blame her. He deserved nothing less.

"Fine," Serena sighed, causing all five occupants of the room to relax their postures with relief, especially Darien. He still had a chance and for that he thanked every deity listening.

"Here, let me help you," Darien said as he strode over to the two blonds and helped Serena to her feet, allowing Mina to scurry back to her corner and play referee. "Raye, we can use the room next door, right?"

"Yeah, sure," Raye ground out before moving into a fighting stance, readying herself for Mina's call.

"Thanks," Darien mumbled uselessly as he practically carried the silent blond to the next room. He was grateful for Raye's help and for the fact that Serena wasn't protesting. He had thought she wouldn't want to be alone with him, regardless of the fact that staying in the room wouldn't bode well for the concentration of the other girls.

"Thanks for helping me," Serena said as Darien set her down on the mattress in the room next door. "Last night, this morning and on the way here."

"I'm sorry I haven't been there when you've needed me, but it's going to change, I promise," Darien swore as he sat down next to her. He wanted so badly to reach over and take her small hand in his. He wanted to feel her up against him as he had minutes earlier, although he would rather it be out of desire instead of need.

"I hope so," the blond whispered as she ducked her head and pulled her legs up against her chest.

"Are you okay?" Darien asked reflexively as Serena gasped involuntarily and dropped her knees away from her torso.

"No," Serena hissed in annoyance before biting down on her lower lip as tears of pain filled her eyes.

"Let me see," he coaxed gently as he reached across the space between them and set a comforting hand on her shoulder. He couldn't help it. He needed to try and lend some comfort if he could.

Serena took a few deep breaths before shrugging off his hand and peeling the top she had worn for sparring off of her sweaty body, revealing her mottled skin. Darien couldn't help but wince at the sight. A large bruise covered her right side while a second smaller one colored her right shoulder. The small cuts that peppered the bruised areas seemed to do nothing but aggravate the already painful wounds.

"Where does Raye keep the first aid kit?" Darien asked, trying to keep his anger for both himself for not being there and the monster that had done this at bay. He could have stopped this. He could have kept her from feeling this pain. He didn't deserve her.

"In that drawer over there," Serena replied as she pointed at one of the dressers that lined the wall opposite her. Darien dug through the drawer he thought she had motioned to, wading through the temple charms and pamphlets until he found the white first aid kit.

"Do you mind?" he asked as he sat back down next to her and opened the precious kit, withdrawing an alcohol wipe and ripping it open with ease.

"Please," she acquiesced. He nodded as he set to tending her wounds, his fingers moving mechanically, yet gently as he cleaned the wounds and bandaged what needed it, all the while inwardly cursing himself for not being able to do more. Why couldn't he be the kind of superhero who could heal? Why was his only skill throwing roses and using a cane as a sword?

"Well, the good news is that I think it's just some bad bruises and shallow cuts. I've wrapped your waist with an ace bandage, but I'm not sure you really need to wear it. I'm being over-cautious on this one. What pain you're feeling should disappear as the bruises do and the cuts should heal over in the next few days. If they don't, call me," Darien instructed, his tone leaving no room for disagreement. He hated being harsh with her, but if she was still in pain by next week, the wounds might be worse than he guessed.

"Thank you again," Serena replied as she grabbed her shirt and slipped it back over her head with some difficulty. Darien's heart ached to help her, but he knew it would do more harm than good to assist her in this small task if she didn't ask for it.

"Anytime, Serena," he mumbled sincerely as he got back to his feet. "Are you ready to go back in?" he asked as he hesitantly offered her a hand. He could handle this rejection. If she wanted to get up herself, he could deal with it. She trusted him enough to see her at her most vulnerable and that was what counted.

"Mmhm," she said with a nod as she took his hand, warmth filling his stomach as she did so. "You're walking me home, aren't you?"

"If you don't want me to, I won't," Darien replied softly in response, the warmth fleeing as she got to her feet and quickly released his hand. He only wanted to make sure she was safe.

"I…" Serena began, clearly undecided as she looked up into his pitifully sad midnight blue eyes. He was trying to convince her to agree without saying a word, but he wasn't so sure it was going well. Besides, he had won two major victories in the last twenty minutes, so he couldn't feel discouraged if she declined. "Maybe I'll ask Lita to walk me. You don't need to go out of your way to help," she said finally.

"It's no trouble," Darien shot back quickly, perhaps too quickly. He cursed inwardly at his eagerness. Or maybe that's what she wanted to hear? He didn't know. He had no idea how to fix what he had ruined, but he knew he had to try. He had to do everything he could think of to get her back and he couldn't give up. His heart hurt too much knowing they were separated, if only in relationship status. If she left his life for good he didn't know how he would manage.

"Well, Lita might be busy. If she is, I suppose I really do need an escort," Serena sighed as she began the short trek back to the training room with Darien following closely. "Thank you."

"You have to stop thanking me, Serena," Darien protested as they slipped back into the room where the other four girls were chatting on the floor with water bottles in hand. "I do what I do because I love you, not for the gratitude."

"Yes, well, you still have my thanks," Serena shrugged, careful to only lift her uninjured shoulder, before turning to join her friends.

Darien was once again left to anxiously shift his weight from foot to foot as he watched Serena swiftly talk to her friends, only slowing his impatient movements when he caught sight of his angel's smile. She had this calming effect on him. It was one no one else could bring about, not even Andrew, although he tried.

"Well, c'mon. Lita's got a cooking class to teach, so it's up to you to make sure I don't die on the way home," Serena informed as she walked past him, her bag in hand.

"Never," Darien whispered to himself before waving goodbye to the other girls and following Serena out the door.

* * *

**A/N: Poor boy. I do love him and promise that I'm making him suffer with the best of intentions.**

**So I'm still looking for my major twist. It won't be some other guy. Nor will it be some girl jumping him, causing her to think he's a cheater. There will be no cliche misconceptions of that sort in this story. I won't have it. If anyone had a burst of inspiration, let me know. I know a lot of people are reading this, so please help. Anything would be useful, I'm sure. I get inspiration from the silliest things.**

**Speaking of all of you that are reading this, I'd like to take the time to thank all of you and beg a little bit for reviews. Camp's starting soon and I'll be much more motivated to ditch my friends and write in my limited free time if I know I have more than 3 reviews to look forward to. Also, my poll is still open and my profile is always more detailed when it comes to my life plans and updates and such, so please check that out.**

**Love and Luck,**

**Gaby  
**


	7. Idiocy Turns Into Impatience

**Disclaimer-Sailor Moon does not belong to me.

* * *

Chapter 7:**

Weeks passed and Darien not only continued to help Serena with the little things, such as meeting her every morning to ensure her timely arrival to school, but he also readily resumed his duties as Tuxedo Mask. Serena wasn't sure what had kept him away in the first place. Maybe it was because he was afraid to run into her. Maybe he had taken the evasion tactic one step too far. Maybe he honestly thought they didn't need him anymore, or worse, that they didn't want him. Regardless, he was back and for that she was grateful. She was grateful for everything he did for her and she continued to voice her gratitude despite his protests.

Currently, she was grateful for the donuts he had slipped into her bag that morning. The note on the paper bag read:

_Good luck on that algebra test._

There were a few basic formulas scrawled underneath the well wishing and Serena hurriedly recommitted them to memory. He had helped her study the day before after discovering her in the arcade, trying to make heads or tails of the equations printed in her textbook while slowly tugging her hair out in frustration. Honestly, he was more coherent than Ami had ever been. Maybe it was because he knew her so well. But how well did she know him?

She pondered this as she took up Lita's usual morning position: propped up against the wall next to the entrance of the school. Recently she'd been beating the brunette to school due to Darien's help, which gave her more time to herself in the morning to think about things. This, in turn, helped her concentrate more in class. If only her ex knew how much good he was doing. Maybe one day she would tell him.

"Hey Serena," Lita greeted, signaling that it was time to head towards their lockers. Serena nodded in response as she pushed herself off the wall and followed her friend. "You're quiet this morning, what's up?" the brunette asked curiously.

"How well do I really know Darien?" Serena asked, abruptly voicing her thoughts. She had become much more verbal with the girls about the Darien problem since that training session all those weeks ago. They deserved to know what was going on, especially since she was destined to marry him. "I mean, I know him," she continued, addressing Lita's confused expression. "I know his name. I know where he lives, what he does, his stories, what he studies, who his friends are, his likes and dislikes. I even know what's most important to him, even though he sometimes doesn't make the best decisions regarding those things, people and ideals. But… I don't know."

"Serena," Lita began hesitantly as they approached her locker, "Can I be completely honest and blunt?"

"Always, Lita," Serena replied with a frown on her face as the brunette quickly, yet nervously, grabbed what she needed from her locker and led the blond down the hallway to hers.

"Darien is exactly who you think and know he is. He's the man who loves you so much that he spends his free time tailing your friends trying get us to tell him anything that could gain him half an inch of space in your good graces. He's so worried about your feelings that he's always walking on eggshells around you, barely letting himself get comfortable escorting you home or giving you a ride even though he's been doing it for weeks because he's scared you might one day suddenly decide you don't want the attention anymore. He's so devoted to you that even as he sits in the arcade, trying to study, he's constantly pestering Andrew with plan after plan to get you back," Lita explained. One of Serena's hands froze over a textbook while the other clutched the donut bag tighter. Why hadn't anyone told her? Why hadn't she noticed?

"He does all of that?" Serena asked softly, her eyes studying the insides of her messy locker. Anything to keep from looking at her friend and seeing the beseeching look on her face.

"And more," Lita confirmed before continuing, "You're all he wants and needs. You know his past and present. You are his future, but only if you let yourself be. Yes, he messed up, but he's done everything I, or any of the girls, can think of to fix it. He's learned from his mistake. What do you want him to do? Take a bullet for you? Don't let it be the life threatening injury and bedside vigil that scares you into realizing that you've forgiven him long ago. You've found your soul mate. Don't let it go to waste."

Serena remained in a shocked standstill as tears filled her eyes. Lita was right. How could she be so stupid? How could she do this to him? How could she do this to herself? How could she do this to the girls? Who was she to fight what was so right, so perfect? And she called herself the champion of love and justice.

"I need to go find him," Serena gasped as she forced the tears back, her realization making it harder to breathe.

"No," Lita disagreed gently. "You both have school. You know where he'll be."

"The Crown. He's always at the Crown, waiting for me," Serena managed as every detail of Darien's dedication flooded her at once, overloading her heart and head with images of what she had been denying herself, of what she had been ignoring. "I'm such an idiot."

"No, not an idiot," Lita assured as she reached into Serena's locker, grabbed the books she would need for the morning and pulled the blond back so she could close her locker and steer her towards class. "Just a little slow on the uptake."

"Do you think he'll forgive me?" Serena asked miserably, unable to think of anything but her memories of Darien, the bag of donuts still in her grip and the equations written on it.

"There's nothing to forgive," Lita shrugged, all the while guiding Serena to her seat in the middle of the room, behind Ami and across from herself. "You were both idiots and now you're not."

"I thought you said we weren't idiots," Serena countered as she slowly slipped back into the real world.

"I lied," the brunette winked just as the class began. Serena returned the teasing gesture with a weak smile as she flipped open the books Lita had dropped on her desk seconds earlier and slipped one of the donuts out of it's bag. All that emotion and thinking had made her hungry.

"Who's an idiot?" Ami hissed, twisting in her seat to risk a whisper as the teacher turned his back to the class. As Lita and Serena silently giggled in their seats at the innocent question, their shy friend frowned and turned back around, clearly resigned to getting the story later.

"Serena's finally figured it out," Lita muttered as she leaned across the aisle, taking her chances as the teacher bent over a student's desk to assist them.

"Well thank Mercury!" Ami exclaimed softly. "Even I was getting impatient!"

Serena's smile widened at this. She was impatient too. She wanted to fix this. She wanted to be in Darien's arms. She wanted to feel his breath on her hair, go on dates with him, hold his hand as they walked down the street, rest her head on his shoulder, tell him about her day in detail and then hear about his in turn. She wanted the stalemate over with and she didn't think she could wait until the school day finished to end it, but she would have to try.

* * *

**A/N: YAY.  
**

**I think this might be the fastest I've ever updated. I was just so excited by the fact that this chapter came so easy. So in return, maybe review? Lots of reviews? I like those things.**

**But thanks to those who have already reviewed. And read this story. I'm sorry I didn't have direction until like three days ago... I really must apologize about that yet again. **

**Oh and please visit my profile and take my poll before continuing on to read other stories!**

**Love and Luck,**

**Gaby  
**


	8. Back To Normal

**Disclaimer-Sailor Moon does not belong to me.**

* * *

**Chapter 8:**

For once, Serena could say a test went well. Or at least she thought it went well. She had been so focused on Darien the entire day that she could almost see his lips moving, telling her how to solve the equations as she worked out the problems on the algebra test she took. She could see his hand moving across the paper, his neat handwriting making the gibberish seem logical as she punched the numbers into the calculator. And now that she was done, she could actually go find him and tell him everything. Not just about the test, but about everything else.

"I'm off," Serena managed to tell her friends after she practically threw her unneeded books into her locker and bolted out of the school building. She had someone to find and she couldn't wait a second longer.

When she got to the Arcade, she found Darien sitting in his usual spot with a familiar-looking redhead sitting next to him. Serena frowned as her brain slowly, yet surely, placed this girl. Her frown deepened as she realized it was the girl she had seen her ex with days before her flight before the summer. The blond bit her lower lip. He wasn't cheating. He couldn't be. But who was this girl?

Well, only one way to find out.

"Darien," Serena greeted as she marched over to the front counter of the arcade.

"Serena!" Darien exclaimed, clearly jolted out of the calm conversation he was having with the redhead at her appearance. Serena allowed a small smile to grace her face. That was not the exclamation of a cheater.

"So this is the famous Serena?" the redhead asked as she turned to face the blond. Serena's smile weakened a bit at this. She knew who she was? "I'm Marley. I was in Darien's English class last semester."

"Oh, it's nice to meet you," Serena replied, her smile growing yet again. She was just a classmate. What she saw last semester was probably just a meeting for a project or a test. She could see why Darien liked this girl. She wasn't overly chatty and she seemed genuine. She even seemed to give off an aura of kindness, one the blond rather enjoyed.

"I'm glad I got to meet you. I was afraid this idiot here ruined everything. Honestly, such cute couples shouldn't be broken up," Marley informed bluntly. Serena noted Darien's wince from the corner of her eye, but she couldn't help but admire her tactic.

"I agree," Serena nodded, only able to hold back her laughter at Darien's surprised expression by biting down on her lower lip. This was the best set up she could ever hope for.

"Oh really?" Marley asked, a satisfied look on her face. Yes, she was undoubtedly a very smart girl. Ami, Mina, Lita and Raye would most definitely like her.

"It just hit me today, actually," Serena shrugged, still trying to contain her giggles. Darien's face was becoming more and more comical by the second.

"Well, maybe I'll leave you to tell Darien all about this epiphany you've had. I have some work to get done anyways," Marley said with a wink as she picked up her bag, said her goodbyes to her still shell-shocked ex-English classmate and strolled out of the arcade. Serena quickly took her seat.

"What?" Darien spluttered, clearly unable to say much else, his blue eyes looking straight into hers as she began her monologue.

"I was talking to Lita this morning," Serena began. "She told me about everything you've done to get me to give you another chance. I think you tried everything but harassing my family, which was probably smart because my dad's still a little mad at you, my mom probably would have said something really cryptic and Sammy might have steered you in the wrong direction for fun. But that's not the point.

"The point is I don't want to wake up one morning and realize that I'm too late. I don't want to turn around and not have you be there anymore. I don't think you can keep this up much longer and I don't think I want you to. I want to be with you. I don't want to waste anymore time being mad when I know that you've done everything you can to make it better. I feel like I'm mad just for the sake of being mad, because it feels wrong to not be mad anymore. But that's ridiculous because being mad is really draining and I'd really rather just love you and be with you, if you can forgive me for making you wait so long for me to make up my mind," Serena rambled, unable to stop herself. She was nervous he would say no. Ami and Lita spent all of lunch assuring her that there was no way he would ever say no, but what if he did?

"You're wrong," Darien whispered, his blue eyes brightening with each passing second. Serena balled her fists in her lap. What was she wrong about? "I would keep this up forever. I would never stop chasing you. There's no one else for me, Serena. You had every right to be mad at me. I was stupid and then I had to win you back, but now that I have, you should know I'm never letting go."

"Good," Serena gasped as tears filled her eyes, her heart feeling lighter than it had in months. He wasn't mad. He hadn't changed his mind. He still wanted her even though she had dragged all of this out like a stupid teenage girl. He still loved her.

Without warning, knocking Serena out of her joyful thoughts, Darien pulled the petite girl into a tight hug. The blond squealed happily, automatically snaking her arms around his waist as the tears spilled over, cascading down her cheeks and onto his shirt.

"I love you, Rena," Darien whispered into her ear, his voice full of relief.

"I love you too, Darien," Serena sobbed quietly, the feeling of being in his arms again clearly overwhelming the blond. She hadn't realized how much she had missed this and it seemed as though her boyfriend hadn't either.

Her boyfriend. He was her boyfriend again. This fact only made Serena cry harder.

"Don't cry, Rena, please don't cry. Everything's okay now," Darien coaxed as he rubbed her back reassuringly.

Serena nodded into his shirt, widening the wet spot she was surely making. She agreed with him. Everything would be okay now that they were back together but she still couldn't stop crying. All her pent up tears from the last month or so had been let loose in the form of relief and she couldn't just couldn't stop.

After a few minutes of silently holding each other in the middle of the arcade, Darien and Serena reluctantly separated. They didn't want to, but also knew it was time to return to the real world. Besides that, they were both painfully aware that they were making quite the scene.

"It's about Goddamn time," Andrew swore from his place behind the counter once the couple's moment was over.

"You're telling us!" Lita exclaimed as she and Ami sat down in the free surrounding stools.

"Hi guys," Serena said sheepishly as she and Darien took their seats, his hand clutching hers tightly in her lap, both refusing to lose contact if only for a second.

"Uh oh, I just realized something," Ami mumbled with a thoughtful look on her face.

"What?" Darien asked, an edge in his voice. Serena smiled at his protective tone. This was the boyfriend she knew and loved.

"Mina and Raye are going to be so mad that they're the last to know," Ami replied.

"Last to know what?" Raye asked as the five teens at the counter turned to face the brunette and her bubbly blond companion.

"Oh my God," Mina gasped as she quickly caught on, her hand flinging out to grab Raye's arm in unadulterated glee. "Oh my God. Oh my God!"

"Would you stop screeching? You're hurting me," Raye chastised as she pushed off the sailor soldier of love. "Seriously though, what am I missing here?"

"Oh my God!" Mina exclaimed again, not phased at all by Raye's rude actions as she pranced forward and tugged at Serena and Darien's joint appendages. "You guys made up! Finally!"

"What?" Raye shrieked. "Is this what I'm last to know? Thanks a lot Meatball Head. I thought I was your best friend!"

"Hey, I thought I was Serena's best friend," Mina said, snapping out of her excitement at Raye's statement.

"No way. I've known her way longer than you have!" Raye argued, her attention completely diverted with this new argument.

"So what? It's quality over quantity when it comes to friends," Mina retorted as she let go of Serena and Darien and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Are you kidding me?" Raye asked angrily, her face turning red as the discussion grew more heated.

"This can't end well," Ami sighed as the five at the counter tried to tune out the bickering.

"Well, at least Raye's not yelling at me," Serena replied cheerfully, causing Lita, Ami and Andrew to laugh while Darien's already impossibly large smile continued to grow.

"Oh no! I'm going to be late for cram school!" Ami said suddenly as she jumped to her feet, grabbed her bag and ran out of the arcade before anyone else could get in a word edgewise.

"And I better go take those two outside before they scare off the customers," Lita sighed. "See you guys later, okay? And try not to break up again in my absence. Honestly, there are only so many times I can play mediator and I need to save it for when Raye starts yelling." With that, the brunette got to her feet and ushered her friends out of the arcade.

"Lita did what?" Andrew asked curiously as he eyed the couple in front of him. They were still beaming of course. Serena wasn't sure when she would stop. Everything was perfect. Even if a monster showed up, she knew it couldn't ruin her mood.

"She's a genius," Darien mumbled as he brought Serena's hand to his lips and kissed it lightly, causing the blond to blush brightly. She had definitely missed that.

"Definitely," Serena agreed with a nod.

"Well, I'm not complaining," Andrew informed. "Everything's back to normal and I don't have to worry about either of you anymore. Honestly, for a minute there I thought Darien was going to jump off a cliff and you, Serena, were going to end up a recluse."

"Well that's optimistic of you," Darien teased their usually bright, positive friend.

"Yeah, yeah, just make sure I'm the best man and the firstborn's godfather for all the pains I've had to go through because of you two," Andrew grumbled as he wiped down the counter.

"We wouldn't have it any other way, Andy," Serena said with a wink before leaning over the counter and planting a quick kiss on her best friend's cheek. With that, she got to her feet, Darien following her lead.

"Where are you two off to?" Andrew asked as he watched Darien pick up the small blond's bag with his free hand and sling it over his shoulder.

"To tell my parents," Serena replied.

"Do we have to?" Darien whined, his smile slipping just a little bit, causing Serena to giggle.

"It'll be okay, honey, they don't bite," Serena assured. "Or well, they don't bite as much as Raye does."

"Well that's a relief," Darien said flatly, causing yet another round of giggles to burst forth from Serena.

"Good luck!" Andrew called after them as they passed through the automatic of doors of the arcade. "Thank God. I was scared the whole world was going to collapse if those two didn't get back together," he muttered to himself, all the while needlessly continuing to wash imaginary crumbs off the counter.

* * *

**A/N: Aw. Yay.  
**

**So there will be one, maybe two more chapters. But it's really up to you guys. If I see reviews to this chapter and the next that I put up, there will be more. If I don't, then there won't be. It was the reviews that got me to continue this story in the first place, so I find it only fitting.**

**Also, FYI, story alert is not a review. I hate to be picky, but it's true.**

**As usual, thanks for reading and I hope you guys liked this one (although I liked the last chapter better). Check my profile for more and take my poll!  
**

**Love and Luck,**

**Gaby  
**


	9. I Know

**Disclaimer-Sailor Moon does not belong to me.

* * *

Chapter 9:**

Darien sighed as he sat down on a bench in the park, a feeling of complete exhaustion washing over him and as finally allowed his shoulders to droop and eyes to close. Having dinner with Serena's family hadn't gone well. Their first date back together was beyond awkward. The Cardian attack that cut it short was terrifying. And worst of all, the nightmares that followed for the last few nights kept him from the necessary sleep that could possibly dissolve some of the paranoia he felt.

"God," Darien breathed as he dropped his head back and let his arms hang loosely by his sides. He had forgotten how scary Serena's dad could be. He had forgotten how scary his nightmares could be. And most of all, both he and his girlfriend had been so diligent recently that he had easily forgotten how downright petrifying it was when the petite blond got hurt in battle.

Why wasn't he ever good enough for her? Why did he always seem to fall short when it came to her? He always did his best but he was always failing. He never had this problem with school. School was simple. You did the work, studied hard, brought new ideas to the table and did well. That was it. But Serena, everything that involved her was so much more complicated.

_Darien had never been grilled like this in his entire life. He was pretty sure Serena's father knew all of this information already and it grated at his last nerve to have to answer the same questions twice._

"_Daddy, please, it's enough," Serena begged softly as she took Darien's hand and set it comfortingly on her lap under the table where he father couldn't see._

"_No, I have a right to know these things. This man is dating my little girl. Serena, you're not someone some guy can just jerk around," Serena's father insisted, an edge in his voice telling Darien he hadn't forgotten anything._

"_Ken, please," Irene, Serena's mother, said, echoing Serena's request. Even Sammy and Rini were sitting silently, their eyes wide with disbelief at Ken's complete disrespect for Darien._

At the end of the meal, Mr. Tsukino had begrudgingly let go of most of his issues with Darien, generally based on the threats issued by Mrs. Tsukino, but the dark haired teen could tell he wasn't trusted. Serena had tried to mollify him as she escorted him down the front walk to say goodnight, but there wasn't much she could say.

"_He'll get over it. In a few days he'll be asking me to 'bring that charming young man over for dinner again.' You'll see, Darien," Serena assured._

"_I don't know about that, Serena," Darien replied as he hung his head, partially so he could look his much shorter girlfriend in the eyes, but mostly because he was ashamed of himself._

"_Listen, Darien, I know it's hard for you," Serena said softly as she reached up and cupped his cheek. "They just need time to get used to the fact that I'm not a baby anymore. I'm pretty sure my mom will get there before my dad and when she does, she'll be at your door every morning with fresh muffins. Don't worry about it. This is normal."_

He wasn't sure how normal it was. Of course, he'd seen plenty of movies with Serena, displaying that this was regular behavior from parents, especially from fathers, but it was still hard to believe.

"_My dad isn't as bad as that guy, you have to admit," Serena stated as they walked out of the movie theater. Darien wanted to die. His amazing girlfriend was trying so hard to go back to normal and have everything be okay, but he was so awkward. Every move he made, everything he said, it was wrong. He was wrong. But she just kept trying._

"_I guess not," Darien shrugged, his voice soft, taking the easy way out and replying with the most obvious of answers as to avoid saying anything that would sound stupid or worse, offend her._

Thinking back on that night, Darien realized that he had a million things to tell her, but it was too late. Why did it take him so long to open up to the only person to every truly matter to him? She had forgiven him. Why was he having so much trouble accepting their future and forgetting their past?

But the date wasn't the worst part of the night. What followed next was definitely much worse.

_The attack was ordinary, if not a little more irritating than usual since it had broken up their date before Darien had the chance to make up for his lame conversation. The monster, while slightly more disgusting and underdressed than usual, was the typical threat. Or, it was, until a beam of dark energy slipped past the girls' defenses and hit their blond leader before anyone could even move to save her._

_Darien's heart froze in his at the sight of his angel lying prone on the grass. Time seemed to stop and all sounds simply slipped in one ear and out the other, nothing registering or sticking as he stood there staring at Serena's long blond hair contrasting starkly with the grass._

"_Tuxedo Mask!" Raye shouted as she knocked him off his feet, her small frame and loud voice protecting him from another lethal wave that emerged from the monster while knocking him out of his daze. "Don't just stand there, go get her," the dark haired girl hissed before pushing herself off their masked protector and jumping back into battle._

_Darien pushed himself up and dove for Serena, following Raye's instructions as quickly as he could. He swiftly scooped up his girlfriend, pulled her close to his chest and ducked behind the widest tree he could find before sinking to the ground while frantically searching for a pulse. The dark haired man let out a deep sigh of relief when he found one._

She woke up not long after that with a nasty bump on her head and a few bruises on her behind, shoulder and pride. Darien insisted that he take her back to his place and look her over properly, but Serena declined saying that she needed to get home before curfew. He knew her parents would be livid if she was late and so he agreed. After walking her home, he then proceeded to call her cell phone and keep her up for the next few hours, just to make sure she didn't have a concussion.

If that wasn't a failed date, Darien didn't know what was. And worst of all, they hadn't bothered to reschedule yet. He knew he was being silly, worrying about something so trivial when he saw her everyday, but what if she was regretting her decision to take him back? What if she was slowly distancing herself? She had left her house before he arrived the last two mornings and on both afternoons the girls informed him that she was busy and wouldn't be coming to the arcade. He had never thought Serena would break up with him like that, but then again, there was no way she ever would have thought he would have broken up with her that way he did.

"Fuck," Darien swore as he closed his eyes and dropped his head back, grateful that the waning sunlight was still bright enough against his eyelids to chase away the terrible images from his dreams.

The dreams were the icing on the cake. They weren't the same dreams as before. These dreams were much worse because he was sure they were straight from his imagination, just as dreams are supposed to be. He knew that these dreams were different visions of his worst fears coming true: Serena leaving him for another man. Serena getting knocked down in a fight to never get back up. Serena getting kidnapped and tortured by whatever evil they were fighting. It went on and on and he couldn't stop it.

"Such language from such sweet lips," a familiar voice said as a pair of small hands dropped down on his shoulders and gently began to massage away the tension that had wound itself all the way up his neck.

"Serena," Darien breathed, relief coursing through his veins. She wasn't avoiding him. In fact, she had sought him out. She could have kept walking even if she had just stumbled upon him. He would have never known. But she stopped.

"You shouldn't think so much. You know it does this to you and you know I hate seeing you like this," Serena comforted before leaning down to place a soft kiss on both of Darien's temples to smooth out the worry lines that were taking too long to fade.

"Mmhm," he mumbled in response, trying to savor the moment, not knowing what would happen next and not really caring.

"Oh Darien," she giggled as she let go of his shoulders and sat down next to him on the bench. Her laughter grew as Darien groaned at the loss of contact. "You big baby," she teased as she pressed herself against his side, waiting for him to open his eyes, wrap an arm around her and pull her close. When he didn't, he felt her shift in concern.

"Darien?" she asked, worry lacing her tone as she set a hand on his chest. "What's the matter, honey?"

Darien couldn't help but allowed a small smile to grace his hardened features at the pet name. He would never admit it to anyone except maybe her, but he loved when she called him by one of her many terms of endearment.

"You're not going crazy, are you?" she pressed on seriously. Darien couldn't hold in his laughter as he finally opened his eyes and sat up to face Serena.

"No, I don't think so," he replied as his laughter subsided. "But I did need to laugh, so thank you."

"You're welcome, I guess, but I don't know what I did," Serena shrugged in confusion.

"It's been a long couple of days," Darien muttered in response as all of his doubts and uncertainties returned in full force, clearly unhappy to have been pushed away by the blond angel sitting next to him.

"Is it because I went missing?" Serena asked, her tone half teasing, half serious.

"Partially," he whispered reluctantly. He didn't like dumping his problems on her. God knew he had enough to drive her crazy. But even more so, he didn't like to show his vulnerable side. He didn't want her to know that he couldn't handle it, because if he couldn't handle his own problems, how could he handle hers? How could he help her when he couldn't even help himself? No. He had to be strong. He had to protect her, even if it meant he would have to suffer.

"Tell me," she demanded.

"I can't." His voice was full of the agony he couldn't hold back.

"You can," she insisted as she took one of his hands and held it on her lap. "You can and you will. I want to help you Darien. Neither of us needs to be alone in any of this."

He never could understand how she always knew. It was almost as if she heard his thoughts.

"I…I'm scared," Darien confessed as he lowered his eyes, refocusing them on their joined hands. "I'm scared of your father. I'm scared that we'll never get back to being the us we were before the summer. I'm scared you're going to wake up tomorrow and realize that I'm still the same idiot and leave me. I'm scared of losing you in an attack. I'm scared of screwing up again. And most of all, I'm scared of going to sleep because every time I close my eyes all my fears are played out. I can't run or hide from them. They just keep coming after me and I can't get a moment of peace."

"Oh Darien," Serena whispered softly as she tightened her grip on his hand and slid so close to him she was practically sitting on his lap, her eyes focusing diligently on the top of his head. "Sweetheart, don't be scared," she coaxed as she used her free hand to cup his cheek and lift his head. "I'm never going to leave you ever again. Not for anything. I'm even more stubborn now than I was before. I've found my happiness and I'm not letting go. We may never be the same us we were before, but not every date is going to be as awkward as the last. We're just getting back into things and we were both a little bit scared. The only thing you really have to worry about is my father, and after I told him you're the reason I've been getting to school on time and doing well is because of you, he's warmed up to the idea."

"I'm your happiness?" Darien asked curiously, his midnight blue eyes welling up with tears he couldn't hold back. He wasn't sure what was setting off all these emotions, but he didn't really care. This was Serena. He would show her any emotion under the sun if it made her happy.

"Not good enough?" Serena replied as she lifted an eyebrow in mock disbelief. "Because I could call you my prize, or my prince. I could also call you my savior, or hero, whichever you rather. Let's not forget that you're my light, my love, my one and only, my past, present and future… must I go on?"

"No," he mumbled as he shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut, a few of his tears slipping passed his eyelashes and trailing slowly down his cheeks. "It's perfect."

"Good," she answered cheerfully as she brushed away his tears. "Now, stop this depressing nonsense. I'm sorry I went missing for a couple of days but I was trying to get on my parents good graces. They're always in better moods when I do what I'm supposed to and I thought it might help your case."

"I'm sorry I've been so insecure," he sighed before biting down on his lower lip, feeling quite silly for his previous tortured thoughts.

"Oh don't worry," she countered, waving off the comment. "Now you know how girls feel." Darien chucked at the offhanded remark and had to agree. All those movies he had watched with her on previous dates never made sense to him. He could never understand why all of those girls overanalyzed everything, but if his own internal struggle taught him anything, it was to never belittle anyone's feelings, no matter how ridiculous.

"Next time I won't be so callous," Darien commented seriously even though he felt nothing of the sort. In fact, for the first time in days, his heart felt much lighter. He had never realized that perhaps the occasional reassurance of love, care and attention was very much a necessity.

"Good, because I'm sick of you and your attitude. I'm not always PMSing, you know," Serena insisted as she got up from the bench and pulled Darien after her. "Now come and buy me ice cream. Andy's probably been missing me as well."

"You know, I love you too. You're my reason to get out of bed in the morning," Darien announced as he caught up with his bubbly girlfriend, his fingers tightening around hers to give it a reassuring squeeze.

"I know," Serena nodded as she turned her face up to show him her beaming expression. "We're going to be okay, Darien."

"I know," he replied, his smile matching hers. And he honestly believed it.

* * *

**A/N: The End.**

**Sorry this took so long. I got really distracted. Camp is insanely tiring. I forgot about that. But it's done and I'm pretty satisfied with the way this chapter went. The vote for Darien's suffering was pretty even, so I tried to make his pain a little clearer to the audience while giving this a happy, sweet ending.**

**Anyway. I hope you all liked this story. Thanks for reading and reviewing. Please let me know what you thought of this chapter and vote for my next story on my profile page. And don't forget, if you see an error, say something. I beg of you.  
**

**Until next time...**

**Love and Luck,**

**Gaby  
**


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